Microsoft reveals first quarterly loss in 26 years

While Google revealed sexy quarterly results alongside the news that pretty much everything is going awesomely, it’s not such great news for Ballmer’s Microsoft.

Just a couple of months after being named World’s Worst CEO by Forbes, Ballmer and his crew have revealed that Microsoft has suffered its first quarterly loss in the 26 years of operating as a public company.

Ultimately, Microsoft reported a Q2 (FY Q4) loss of $492 million. To be fair, a huge part of that was down to the resounding flop that was the acquisition of aQuantive, resulting in a $6 billion writedown.

And it’s not all bad. Microsoft actually reported an increase in revenue in Q2 over Q1, and over the same period last year. Not too shabby after all.

“We delivered record fourth quarter and annual revenue, and we’re fast approaching the most exciting launch season in Microsoft history," crooned Ballmer, hoping to ease the pain.

"Over the coming year, we’ll release the next versions of Windows, Office, Windows Server, Windows Phone, and many other products and services that will drive our business forward and provide unprecedented opportunity to our customers and partners."

Only not counting the impairment charge (which isn't lost revenue, I've no idea which tech journalist first decided to lump it in there) they're well over $5Bn in the black (with a record revenue of over $18Bn) for the period and showing an increase in profits, both year on year and sequentially, ahead of investors and their own expectations for the period.

Only not counting the impairment charge (which isn't lost revenue, I've no idea which tech journalist first decided to lump it in there) they're well over $5Bn in the black (with a record revenue of over $18Bn) for the period and showing an increase in profits, both year on year and sequentially, ahead of investors and their own expectations for the period.

...as was Nokia prior to February madness... perceptions these days are everything. Or almost everything.